Church left out of 9/11 renewal

NEW YORK — Towers are rising again at the site of the World Trade Center, a place of devastation turned into a construction hub. But the cross-topped belfry of St. Nicholas Church isn’t among them.

Nine years after it was destroyed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the little Greek Orthodox church that stood across the street from the twin towers is farther away than ever from being rebuilt.

Slow progress toward a new home halted last year when the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which controls the Ground Zero site, broke off discussions with the church over where and how a new church would be built.

On Sunday, the eve of St. Nicholas Day, 70 families of the congregation gathered near the site to light candles and pray for a way to rebuild their spiritual home amid the office towers and memorial plaza taking shape. “It’s not a political statement. This is our place, and we belong there,” says Mark Arey, a priest and director of interfaith relations for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

This is not a slap in the face of “Greek Orthodox”. It is a slap in the face of Christianity. Mayor Bloomberg is knocking himself over to help get this Islamic supremicist victory mega mosque built, while at the same time placing layers of red tape that will keep this parish tied up for years, if not indefinitely. They have no intention in letting this church get built. Brace yourself.